Early Warning
by suzie2b
Summary: The Germans are secretly building something beneath a bombed out installation.


**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **Early Warning**

 **By Suzie2b**

 **Sergeants Troy and Moffitt were in Captain Boggs' office. The captain circled a spot on the map that hung on one wall with his finger. "The installation is located here—where the borders of Algeria, Mali, and Niger meet. The allies sent in an airstrike two months ago and soon after the Germans abandoned it." Boggs returned to his desk and sat down. "We thought that was the end of it, but reports state that in the last week convoys have been spotted moving in and out of that installation, but there has been no sign that they're rebuilding. Even the gates have remained broken and wide open."**

 **Troy asked, "Any idea as to what the convoys were transporting, sir?"**

" **No, and the trucks seem to only move in and out during the night."**

" **Then how can anyone be sure they're even German?"**

 **Boggs sighed. "They can't. That's why High Command wants it checked out."**

 **Moffitt suggested, "The Germans might very well be trying to use it to hide supplies and ammunition, sir. That would explain the lack of repairs and the comings and goings at night."**

" **That's definitely a possibility. That's what I want your team to find out."**

 **###################################**

 **It was midafternoon when the Rat Patrol arrived in the hills about three kilometers from the installation. A quick recon showed no signs of guards or movement. In the light of day, there was nothing to show that anyone was there.**

 **At 2200 hours that night, Tully went to relieve Hitch on watch. "Seen anything?"**

 **Hitch nodded in the dark. "A ten truck convoy arrived about a half hour ago. I could hear 'em before I could see them in the moonlight."**

" **Okay, you better go tell Troy and Moffitt."**

 **As Hitch moved away, Tully took up a position and crouched in the scrub.**

 **Shortly, Troy appeared and knelt next to the private. "Hitch said a convoy arrived. Have you seen any other movement?"**

 **Tully replied, "Nothing yet."**

" **If you spot anything at all, come and let us now immediately. I plan to go in at midnight."**

" **Right, sarge."**

 **At 2300 hours, Tully observed ten trucks pull out of the installation and disappear into the dark desert. He went to report this to the others.**

 **Troy lit a match and checked his watch. "Okay, let's get ready to go."**

 **By the time they got to the gates, it was nearly midnight. Seeing the gates hanging loose on their hinges was an eerie sight in the moonlit darkness. As they moved inside, the first thing they noticed was the absolute silence. Even in the middle of the night there should be some kind of noise in an occupied installation.**

 **Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully stayed low and out of sight as they moved among the bombed out buildings. It was a little unnerving. No guards, no light, no movement.**

 **They were able to find a small motor pool hidden under camouflage netting that matched the color of the buildings and rubble surrounding it. The few vehicles were in too good of shape to have been there during the bombing.**

 **They checked out the remains of headquarters. Nearly everything above the ground floor had been blown away. There was nothing there but the scattered remnants of what had once been busy offices. They didn't take the time to check behind each room they came to. It was just too dark for that and they didn't want to risk a flashlight being seen. As they started outside again, they heard sounds and ducked back inside. A squeak, footsteps, whispered voices. Then there was a beam from a flashlight. Two German soldiers walked out of the shadows pushing a wooden cart with one squeaky wheel. Its contents was covered with a tarp. They chatted quietly as they walked passed and turned down the alleyway, never realizing the Rat Patrol was there watching them.**

 **Troy signaled that they were going to follow and led the way into the alley. Darkness had swallowed the two Germans, but the squeaking of that wheel was unmistakable.**

 **They moved silently, staying against the wall. Then the squeak went silent. Troy and his men continued cautiously forward until they came to a pair of heavy doors. The sergeant slowly opened one to take a look. There was nothing to see in the inky blackness, but then he heard it. The sound of a squeaky wheel echoed off the bare walls.**

 **Troy led his men down a wide, sloped corridor that led under the headquarters building. When they got to a bend, he carefully peeked around the corner. In the distance there was a light glowing dimly but ominously into the next corridor as the men and their cart disappeared around the corner.**

 **Signaling for Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully to go back the way they'd come, Troy followed them back into the alley. He whispered, "We can't do anymore tonight. Let's head back to the jeeps."**

 **###################################**

 **After a few hours of sleep and a K-ration breakfast, Troy crouched in the scrub on the hill with his men and looked out at the remains of the installation. He said, "It's obvious that whatever they're doing is being done underground. There's no way we'll be able to get down there through that passageway we found last night. There's too big a risk of being caught with nowhere to hide."**

 **Moffitt said, "If that place is anything like the bunker under headquarters at Ras Tanera, there will be at least one other way down from inside the building."**

" **That's what I'm thinking. I'm willing to guess that they work at night and sleep during the day to keep things under wraps. That's why our spotters haven't noticed anything going on with the exception of the night time convoys."**

 **Hitch ventured, "So, if we go in during the day, we'd probably have the run of the place while they're sleeping."**

 **Troy nodded. "We'll still have to be careful, though. We don't know what's going on in there yet, and just because there's been no signs of life during the day doesn't mean there aren't guards stationed somewhere in there."**

 **Later that morning they again made their way back to the installation's gate, hoping that their observation of no guards still rang true. They quickly went to headquarters and went inside.**

 **Troy pointed to the hallway to his left. "Tully, you and Hitch go check things out that way. Moffitt and I will go around here. Keep your heads down and stay quiet."**

 **Hitch and Tully moved cautiously as they checked doors and downward leading stairways. They had all proved to be dead ends until they came to some stairs at the end of an oddly short corridor that was devoid of anything else.**

 **Hitch whispered, "What do you think?"**

 **Tully glanced around. "Let's check it out."**

 **Together they made their way down the steep stairway by the light of sporadically placed lightbulbs that hung from the ceiling. Hitch and Tully went down, carefully checking around corners before continuing. At the bottom there was a large, reinforced door. Hitch reached for the knob, then nodded to Tully to let him know it was unlocked. He slowly pulled the heavy door open. He stopped and they both winced when its hinges squealed. They stood perfectly still, holding their breath, until they were sure that the noise hadn't alerted anyone.**

 **Inside they moved down a hallway to more stairs leading further down. What they saw from that landing made them both stop and gasp. Stretching out below was the makings of a radar station.**

 **Tully whispered, "Let's go back. We need to tell Troy and Moffitt about this."**

 **They hurried back the way they'd come, out the door, and up the stairs. Just as they got to the top, two German soldiers appeared at the other end of the short corridor. Both sides reacted quickly. Shots were fired. Tully was hit as bullets from his machine gun ripped into one of the Germans. As he stumbled back and tumbled down the stairs, Hitch was hit in the shoulder, but was able to take out the second German.**

 **Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, Hitch looked for Tully. Fortunately, he had only fallen down six or seven steps before stopping himself and had already picked himself up. Hitch saw blood on the right side of Tully's shirt as he reached out to help him.**

 **As they ran back to the front of the building, they ran into Troy and Moffitt, who had heard the shots.**

 **Hitch told them, "We found what they're working on!"**

 **Noting that both of his privates were injured, Troy said, "Never mind! Let's get outta here!"**

 **They got out of the building ahead of the soldiers who had also heard the shooting and were rushing to investigate. It was touch and go, but because the Germans had been so sure that no one was suspicious of what was going on, they weren't able to rally in time, and Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully were able to get out the gates without being spotted.**

 **###################################**

 **When the four of them arrived back at the jeeps Hitch and Tully collapsed. Moffitt grabbed the med kits out of the jeeps and handed one to Troy as he knelt next to Tully.**

 **As Moffitt unbuttoned his bloodied shirt, Tully grimaced as he said, "They're building a radar station, sarge."**

 **Troy helped Hitch to sit up and lean against the jeep before opening his shirt. "A radar station?"**

 **Hitch said, "Yeah. The whole thing's underground."**

 **Moffitt took gauze and pressed it against Tully's wounded side. The bullet had gone through the flesh a few inches above his belt. Not serious, but required stitches. "That explains why they were trying so hard to keep things secret."**

 **Troy was pressing gauze on Hitch's wound. The bullet had grazed the top of his shoulder, leaving a ragged, bloody wound. The sergeant took Hitch's hand and placed it over the gauze. "It's not too bad. Hold that until Moffitt can check you out."**

 **Moffitt asked, "Are you going to radio headquarters?"**

 **Troy nodded as he stood up. "The Germans know we're on to them now. The sooner Captain Boggs can send in some bombers the better."**

 **Moffitt had his patient press the gauze against his side. "Just relax, Tully. I'm going to take care of Hitch while we wait for the bleeding to stop. Then I'll stitch you up."**

 **By the time Troy had gotten through to base and reported what they'd found, Moffitt was in the middle of stitching up Tully. The sergeant didn't spare his counterpart a glance as he asked, "So, when can we expect an airstrike?"**

 **Troy knelt next to Hitch, who was letting Tully squeeze his hand, and said, "He's making the call now, but it'll take a while for them to get in the air and make the trip." He looked at his wounded privates. "If you two think you can handle it, the captain would like us to stick around and make sure the planes do their job, since everything we need to get rid of is underground."**

 **Hitch nodded. "I'll be fine, sarge."**

" **How about you, Tully."**

 **He gritted his teeth. "I'll be fine, too … soon as he quits pokin' that sewin' needle in me."**

 **Moffitt smiled as he continued with the last couple of stitches. "It's not a sewing needle, Tully. It's a regulation surgical needle."**

 **Tully sighed. "Don't care. It still hurts when you stick it in me."**

 **###################################**

 **As the time passed, Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully were waiting on the hill watching the flurry of activity they had caused. They saw a staff car speed out through the gates, no doubt with the installation's highest ranking officers aboard. Two trucks, that were most likely loaded with whatever equipment they could save, were existing the installation when the drone of the allied planes could be heard.**

 **The four men of the Rat Patrol watched as bomb after bomb fell and hit their target. Further explosions rumbled within the walls as hidden fuel and ammunition were set off.**

 **After the bombers were done and headed back to their base, they sat there watching the black smoke rise. Another explosion rocked the ground as one last truck limped out into the desert and one of the outer walls collapsed.**

 **Tully said with a wry smile, "I've always liked fireworks."**

 **Moffitt was amused as he said, "A bit of overkill I'd say."**

 **Hitch commented, "Guess they wanted to make sure no one will be able to move in again."**

 **Troy stood as he said, "Yeah. We'll let the smoke settle, then check it out in the morning before we head back to base."**

 **There was no further activity to be seen as they took turns on watch through the rest of the day and night. When daylight came, they cautiously drove down and stopped outside the gates that were now blasted to pieces. Smoke still rose from the fires that continued to burn both above and below ground. For the most part everything had been leveled this time.**

 **Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully walked in silence as they moved through the destruction. When they were sure that nothing remained of the radar station and there were no survivors, they left the smoldering hulk to head back to their base at Ras Tanura. Troy's main concern now was for his wounded him and was relieved that it hadn't turned out worse.**


End file.
